THE SLAVIK PLAN FOR THE OLYMPICS AND BASEBALL

CHICAGO 2016? AND BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL AS OLYMPIC SPORTS??


As we look out towards the new year one of the things I look forward to is the reinstatement of baseball and softball to the Olympics. My plan for the powers that be, mainly Bud Selig representing Major League Baseball (MLB) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is as follows:

The first step is for the international community to pay us back for submitting to their will and electing Barack Obama as our President. This is our gift to the world, who endorsed Obama over McCain (and Bush) in numbers reaching over 90% in some countries. There has to be some quid pro quo for this. This is non-negotiable.

In light of this event, I expect that the IOC would not dare award the 2016 Olympics to anyone but Chicago. The decision comes sometime this year. Does anyone really believe that with Barack's home base still in the running, they can award the Games to Spain or Rio de Janeiro? Come on, get real.

OK so that's a slam dunk. Slight problem though. Even the imbeciles at the IOC wouldn't dare hold the Olympics here in America and exclude America's past time from the event. Would they? I don't think so.

So the IOC have to get together and play nicey-nice and figure out a way to get major leaguers to participate. This is what the IOC has wanted all along, because the big multi-national sponsors will follow.

So how do we get major leaguers in there? Well, some "accommodations" may have to be made.

I would suggest that for 2016, the All-Star weekend and/or the World Baseball Classic not be held that year. The season instead would be shut down while any all-stars chosen for the American team or the international teams participates in the Olympics.


DIG DEEP BUD, GET IT DONE

Since the Olympics would likely last a bit longer than the number of days the all-star festivities are normally held, again for 2016 only, MLB may have to extend the season into early to mid November, which may mean taking the extreme step of holding the World Series at a neutral site for that year.

Cities like Phoenix, Miami, Tampa, Houston or San Diego would be able to guarantee decent weather and/or retractable dome. It would suck for whatever teams fans won the pennant that year, but teams have a lottery for World Series tickets among season ticket holders anyway, so that year only those wiling to take a road trip would put in.

It would be ironic if that ended up being the first year the Cubs won it, but everyone would be sharing the potential burden equally.

MLB and/or the union would have to make some sort of accommodation regarding testing, but if a player is not willing to submit to the Olympic testing for that year, they just don't participate.

All these "accommodations" involve some horse-trading among the principals, mainly owners, players, the union and the IOC. And that means money.

Hopefully, the parties realize that there is enough money for all and that this could end up being good for the game and increase the visibility and popularity internationally. Which means more money going forward.

You'd really have to be an idiot to screw this up but who knows, there could be a breakdown at any step along the line. And given who the parties in charge of making this work and their prior track record, I put the odds at maybe 50/50.